


Mr. Third Wheel

by Mainmanda



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Cheating, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, M/M, One Shot, POV First Person, Tumblr Prompt, josh being a little shit, third wheeling, this is pretty much written at ashleys expense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 18:03:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6917590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mainmanda/pseuds/Mainmanda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashley eagerly awaits her one year anniversary dinner with Chris, but is not so pleasantly surprised to find that Josh will be joining them. Written from Ashley's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mr. Third Wheel

**Author's Note:**

> First official fic yall. Hope it's passable, but it was super fun to write regardless (sorry Ashley)
> 
> Written to the theme of 'Me, You and Steve' by Garfunkel and Oates suggested by flandoms (flandoms.tumblr.com)

He gave me a spare key I can’t believe it! A whole year of us being together and he's finally getting serious about us, thank god. My heart feels like it's gonna burst out my frickin chest. Why do I feel so nervous? Maybe tonight Chris and I will finally- No! Stop thinking those thoughts you're gonna be at his place in like two minutes pull yourself together Ashley. There's nothing that could possibly ruin this night for me…

\-----

"Hey Ash what’s up"

Except him

\-----

Josh?! What the flip is Josh doing here tonight let alone greeting me first at the door?! Chris said he was cooking us dinner. US- meaning Chris and myself. Without Josh. How many times do I have to have this talk with him?! It's always the same excuses of ‘I can't just not invite my best bro Ash’ or ‘he'd find out and get upset Ash’ and you can’t forget the good ol’ ‘he wasn’t doing anything tonight so I thought he'd like to come over and hang Ash.’ It was always something. Any excuse for Josh to stay in their company Chris would use. A whole year since beginning their relationship and the amount of dates they've had ALONE can be counted on like one hand. I'm done. The mood is automatically ruined for me and I’m not putting up with being let down anymore. Tonight Chris is gonna have to make a choice.

\-----

Look at those two. Honestly, it's like when Josh is here Chris forgets that I’m the one he’s dating. Here I am sitting on the couch. Alone. Watching tweedledee and tweedledum fix dinner. The dinner Chris and I should be sharing. Alone. They're laughing and smiling. Josh takes a hand full of spaghetti and tosses it at Chris with that dumb look on his stupid face. How much longer do I have to pretend like I'm doing shit on my phone?

\-----

The foods done twenty minutes later and I help set the table. I want to take a plate and throw it on the floor in frustration. Too bad it wouldn’t brake with it being a paper plate and all. Nice Chris, couldn’t even splurge on the fancy looking plastic ones for tonight. I decide to try and put myself in a better mood for the sake of tonight. Funny how Chris hasn't even noticed how I haven’t been the most happy camper by the way. Guys can be so oblivious. We chitchat and share a laugh or two as Chris lights the candles on the table. Gotta say it was a nice touch on his part. This must have been where the fancy plate money went. As I mentioned how I adored the candles I found out that they were indeed Josh’s idea. I should've figured…

\-----

Much to my dismay Josh makes himself a plate at the table. The table that was set for the two of is i.e. Chris and I. I guess if Josh has to be here he can at least have the decency to eat in live living room, or Chris's room, or hell I don't care he can eat in the damn bathtub for all I care at this point!

The spaghetti's good. We eat and share in casual conversation. Much to my absolute delight they bring up the time the three of us went to that baseball game when we were still in high school. It was supposed to be Chris and I, but it's always Chris, Josh, and I. The kiss cam had found the three of us, with me on Chris's left leaving Josh to occupy the right. I was so excited. It’s like the hope of every girl to be spotted on the kiss cam with her man when at a game. The crowd around us looked on waiting for Chris and me to share our kiss. I lean over and to my horror Chris had been stolen by Josh, with his lips planted firmly on Chris's cheek. The crowd went crazy with laughter and cheer since, you know, who would've expected it?! Chris and Josh laughed about it. Everyone around us laughed about it. I didn't.

\-----

I feel almost awkward with Josh here with us. Creating that perfect romantic atmosphere is a little hard with Mr. third wheel actively third wheeling. We share in more casual conversation. Chris and Josh laugh over stupid inside jokes and more old high school stories. Is now really the time Chris?! Can you turn your brain on at some point tonight please?! Like, hello, your girlfriend is sitting right across from you and you use this time to bro it up with Josh?! 

Dinner went as well as it could have I suppose. It's pretty bad that I feel like the third wheel is me when this was supposed to be my night with Chris. I offer to help clean up, but Chris denies; instead saying that Josh and him can clean up. Josh mentioned something half-assed about how he wouldn't want me to mess up my nails and how they made the mess and they can clean it up together. I'm not sure why I decided that his answer was what put me over the edge. Maybe it was the sly way Josh slid in that word: together. I pulled Chris aside, away from Josh's listening ears, to finally tell him how I was feeling. They say the basis of a healthy relationship is communication after all and it’s about damn time I communicate. I tell Chris that Josh being here is bothering me because this is our special night and that he should be asked to leave. Chris looked torn and I gotta say it hurt. He gave me another one of his excuses of how it would be super rude and Josh would get upset. I made sure to mention that I've been upset almost this whole time. Chris let out a sigh, grabbed my shoulders and leaned in for a quick kiss. I wish it was a little more. I miss our intimacy, but making out in front of Josh was not on my to-do list. Chris apologized and assured me he would talk to Josh for the sake of our relationship. It was about time. 

\-----

Chris and Josh have been alone in his room for quite some time now. In the time since Chris pulled Josh away to talk I've been able to put away all the leftovers, put the dishes in the washer and wipe the table squeaky clean. I checked my phone. I had a message from Sam asking how the anniversary dinner date was going. She even felt the need to add that winky face emoji like she was insinuating something. Ha! Intimacy with Josh always around is kinda hard girl. I told her that Josh had come, much to my dismay. I watched the gray dots blinking in the speech bubble showing that Sam was currently working on a response when my attention was quickly veered to a peculiar thump. I slid my phone back into my jeans pocket. What was that? I turned the corner to Chris’s closed bedroom door. I'm not crazy. I know I heard something. 

Another thump. 

What could they be doing in there? I hope they aren't having a fight or something. I don't want Josh around for date nights, but it's not like I don't want them to be friends anymore. I decide to knock. I inquire to Chris that I heard a loud noise. There was no response. In fact, I don't even hear talking. 

I knock again. 

Chris? 

Knock knock.

I mention to Chris how it's getting late and I wanted him to come out. I jiggle the door handle hard enough to find that it is, in fact, not locked. I begin to open it. Normally this would be a big no-no kinda thing, but I mean, they didn’t lock the door. I mean, why would they feel the need when they're just tal-

\-----

I took the spare key Chris gave me and I tossed it on the side table. I grab my cardigan, I put on my boots, and I grab my hat. Chris is begging me not to leave with lines like ‘don't leave me Ash’ and the classic ‘it's not what you think Ash’. Hilarious actually. I'm pretty sure there are not many other ways you can interpret your boyfriend shoving his tongue down his best friend’s throat. And the thumping? Yeah I can use my imagination- scratch that. I'd rather not. Chris can try, but he’s not going to be able to stop me from leaving. Not when he has a fresh hickey blooming upon his neck. Who knows if or for how long he's been doing...that…behind my back. I should have figured. The signs were there. They’ve been there from the start. 

This was supposed to be our night. Today was our anniversary and I have this feeling that we won’t be having another one. I need to leave to get some air and clear my head. As I throw open the door to make my leave, the familiar slam of the door closing never came. I turn around expecting Chris to be there- begging me to come back inside- tears streaming down his face. The works. Instead it's Josh, leaning his body forward towards me halfway out the door with that shit-eating grin on his face. He winks at me.

"See you ‘round Ash"

**Author's Note:**

> So that's that guys. Let me know what you think- Good? Bad? Meh. If there's anything you can suggest I do I'm open to it since this is my first published fic. 
> 
> If by chance anyone likes this enough to let me know you can find me anytime @ main-manda.tumblr.com
> 
> Thanks for reading


End file.
